Election Commission: 32 Lakh Bihar Voters Yet to Submit Forms

Quick Summary

• Electoral Roll Revision in Bihar: A total of 32 lakh voters have yet to submit their enumeration Forms during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls, with a deadline set for July 25.
• Current Progress: Forms have been received from 90.64% of Bihar’s 7.89 crore electors.
• Remaining Challenges: Approximately 5.27% of electors were not found at their listed addresses due to reasons including death (1.81%),enrollment at multiple places (0.95%), permanent shifts (2.5%), adn being untraceable (0.01%).
• Efforts by the Election Commission of India (ECI):

– Over three rounds of door-to-door visits completed by Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
– Nearly one lakh BLOs, four lakh volunteers, and political party-appointed Booth Level Agents working collectively.
– Special camps established in all wards and urban local bodies to facilitate registration.

• Claims and Objections period: Any errors or omissions can be rectified between August 1 draft publication and August 30 under SIR directives.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The ongoing revision process demonstrates the ECI’s commitment to ensuring thorough inclusion in Bihar’s electoral rolls ahead of future elections. The involvement of nearly six lakh personnel highlights meaningful organizational efforts aimed at reducing discrepancies such as duplicate entries or outdated voter information-issues that commonly affect poll openness in populous states like Bihar.

While achieving a registration rate above ninety percent is commendable, approximately five percent “not found” cases indicate logistical challenges inherent in tracking mobile populations and those who may neglect civic responsibilities like electoral enrollment updates after moving towns or cities.

Importantly, the provision for claims and objections post-draft publication ensures checks against errors while fostering accountability across political parties via appointed agents working alongside BLOs-a notable mechanism given India’s participatory democratic framework.

This initiative will likely bolster confidence among voters if executed successfully without systemic lapses while serving as a potential model for revisions elsewhere in India facing similar complexities around large-scale voter databases.

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